Game Preview: Vikings at Seahawks

The Minnesota Vikings (2-7) and Seattle Seahawks (9-1) square off at CenturyLink Field for the 2nd consecutive season for the 1st time in series history. The Vikings came up short, 20-30, in 2012 despite a 182-yard 2-TD performance from RB Adrian Peterson.

Former Seattle Seahawk and current Vikings TE John Carlson had his best game as a Viking with 7 catches for 98 yards and a TD in Minnesota’s 34-27 win over Washington. Carlson was drafted by Seattle in the 2nd round (#38 overall) in 2008. Carlson had record-setting seasons with the Seahawks, establishing top 2 seasons for catches by a TE with 55 as a rookie and 51 in 2009.

Seattle WRs Percy Harvin and Sidney Rice (IR) along with Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell and Special Teamer Heath Farwell all spent significant time with the Vikings, including a run to the 2009 NFC Championship game.

KFAN and KTCN serve as the flagship stations for the 72-station, 5-state Vikings Radio Network.

STAT OF THE WEEKThe Minnesota Vikings have the 2 league leading return specialists in the NFL. KR Cordarrelle Patterson leads the NFL with 35.2 yards per kick return while PR Marcus Sherels leads the league averaging 16.3 yards per punt return.

NORSEMAN NOTABLES • With 1 rushing TD, RB Adrian Peterson will have recorded 10 rushing TDs in each of his first 7 seasons in the NFL. The rushing TD, Peterson’s 86th, will also tie Priest Holmes for 14th all-time in NFL history. Peterson currently tops the NFL with 9 rushing TDs.• Peterson recorded his 200th reception against Washington, becoming the 6th RB in Vikings history to achieve the feat.• Vikings TE John Carlson had 7 catches for 98 yards and 1 TD, all personal bests as a Viking. Carlson was a 2nd-round pick in 2008 by the Seahawks and spent the first 4 seasons of his career in Seattle.• DT Kevin Williams recorded 2.5 sacks against Washington marking his first multi-sack game since 10/18/09. Williams has 10 career multi-sack games.• Despite having only played in 6 games, QB Christian Ponder is tied for the NFL lead in rushingMTDs (4) by a QB during the 2013 season.• Since 2011, special teams coordinator Mike Priefer’s first year in Minnesota, the Vikings are tied with the Denver Broncos and the Tennessee Titans for the most kick return and punt return TDs with 6 (4 kick returns, 2 punt returns).• For the season, KR Cordarrelle Patterson leads the NFL with 845 kick return yards and 2 kick return TDs.• LB Erin Henderson has led the team in tackles in 6 of the 9 contests and has recorded a TFL in 8Mof the 9 games, including 5 consecutive games entering the Seattle game. Henderson is among the NFL leaders with 2 INTs by a LB.• S Andrew Sendejo recored a career-high 16 tackles against Washington, which is tied for the most among DBs during the 2013 season.• Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll served as the DL coach from 1985-1989 under Bud GrantMand Jerry Burns. Carroll also coached 4 current Vikings (M. Cassel, R. Ellison, E. Griffen, M. Kalil) while he was the head coach at Southern California.• The Week 11 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks marks the 800th regular season contest in Minnesota Vikings history.• DT Kevin Williams, with 59 sacks, is 11th in career sacks by a DT. With 2 more he ties Michael Dean Perry (61) for 10th all-time.

VIKINGS-SEAHAWKS CONNECTIONS• Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll coached the DBs for the Vikings from 1985-89. Carroll’s son, Nate, is the Seahawks Offensive Assistant and was born in Edina, Minnesota during the elder Carroll’s stint with the Vikings.• Seahawks WR Percy Harvin spent the first 4 seasons of his NFL career with the Vikings. During that time, Harvin led the Vikings with 280 recep- tions, 3,302 receiving yards and 20 TDs.• Seattle’s Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell served as the Vikings Of- fensive Coordinator from 2006-10.• Seattle area scout Todd Brunner’s father, John, coached for the Min- nesota Vikings from 1987-91.• Seahawks LB Heath Farwell (2005-10) played for the Vikings and helped the team win 2 NFC North Championships and 1 trip to the NFC Champi- onship game in 2009. Both Farwell and WR Sidney Rice, who played for the Vikings from 2007-10, were selected to the Pro Bowl in 2009.• Seahawks K Steven Hauschka signed with the Vikings as an undrafted rookie free agent and attending training camp with the team in 2008.• Vikings TE John Carlson spent his 1st 4 seasons (2008-11) in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks. Carlson was voted the Seattle Seahawks Man of the Year in 2011 for his community outreach.

LOCAL CONNECTIONS• Seattle Seahawks General Manager John Schneider is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.• The Seahawks Assistant Director of Pro Personnel Trent Kirchner is a native Minnesotan and attended St. Johns University in Collegeville, Minnesota where he played on the football team. Kirchner also interned with the Minnesota Twins in 1999.• Sam Ramsden, Seattle’s Director of Health and Player Performance, is from La Crescent, Minnesota.

NFL CONNECTIONS• Seattle’s WR Coach Kippy Brown and Vikings WR Coach george Stew- art coached together for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1995. Brown served as the RB Coach while Stewart coached special teams.• Seahawks Assistant Head Coach/OL Coach Tom Cable and Vikings Of- fensive Coordinator Bill Musgrave coached together in Atlanta in 2006. Musgrave was the offensive coordinator while Cable coached the offensive line.

COLLEGE CONNECTIONS• Vikings LB Coach Fred Pagac and Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll coached together at Ohio State University in 1979.• Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll and Assistant OL Coach Pat Ruel coached Vikings WR Coach george Stewart at the University of Arkan- sas in 1977. Carroll was a graduate assistant and Ruel was the Assistant OL Coach, while Stewart played G. Carroll and Stewart later coached together with the 49ers in 1996 along with Seahawks TE Coach Pat McPherson.• Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll coached Vikings QB Matt Cassel, T Matt Kalil, TE Rhett Ellison and DE Everson griffen at the University of Southern California.

VIKINGS BIG DAYS VS. SEAHAWKS • DE Jared Allen recorded the first interception of his career against the Seahawks as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs on 10/29/06.• During his rookie season in 2012, K Blair Walsh connected on a 55-yard FG, tying a then-career high. It was the 5th of Walsh’s season en route to setting an NFL record for most 50 yard FG in one season (10).• RB Adrian Peterson had a 74-yard run against the Seahawks on 11/4/12. That is the longest run in Peterson’s career that was not a touchdown.• DT Kevin Williams recorded 4 tackles, 1.0 sack, and scored a touchdown when he recovered a fumble in the end zone against the Seahawks on 10/22/06. The Vikings won 31-13.

VIKINGS-SEAHAWKS SERIES NOTES • The Vikings and Seahawks have met 12 times with the Seahawks hold- ing a 7-5 advantage.• The Vikings and Seahawks have never played each other in an overtime game.• The Vikings and Seahawks have split the two games played at Century- Link Field.• The last time the Vikings and Seahawks met was in week 9 of the 2012 season, a 30-20 Seahawks win.

A WIN WOULD... • Give the Vikings back-to-back wins for the first time in the 2013 season.• Give the Vikings their first win at Seattle since 10/22/06.• Give Head Coach Leslie Frazier his first win against Seattle.